scholarly journals Inline 3D Volumetric Measurement of Moisture Content in Rice Using Regression-Based ML of RF Tomographic Imaging

Sensors ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
Abd Alazeez Almaleeh ◽  
Ammar Zakaria ◽  
Latifah Munirah Kamarudin ◽  
Mohd Hafiz Fazalul Rahiman ◽  
David Lorater Ndzi ◽  
...  

The moisture content of stored rice is dependent on the surrounding and environmental factors which in turn affect the quality and economic value of the grains. Therefore, the moisture content of grains needs to be measured frequently to ensure that optimum conditions that preserve their quality are maintained. The current state of the art for moisture measurement of rice in a silo is based on grab sampling or relies on single rod sensors placed randomly into the grain. The sensors that are currently used are very localized and are, therefore, unable to provide continuous measurement of the moisture distribution in the silo. To the authors’ knowledge, there is no commercially available 3D volumetric measurement system for rice moisture content in a silo. Hence, this paper presents results of work carried out using low-cost wireless devices that can be placed around the silo to measure changes in the moisture content of rice. This paper proposes a novel technique based on radio frequency tomographic imaging using low-cost wireless devices and regression-based machine learning to provide contactless non-destructive 3D volumetric moisture content distribution in stored rice grain. This proposed technique can detect multiple levels of localized moisture distributions in the silo with accuracies greater than or equal to 83.7%, depending on the size and shape of the sample under test. Unlike other approaches proposed in open literature or employed in the sector, the proposed system can be deployed to provide continuous monitoring of the moisture distribution in silos.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2107 (1) ◽  
pp. 012059
Author(s):  
A A Almaleeh ◽  
A Zakaria ◽  
M H F Rahiman ◽  
Y B Abdul Rahim ◽  
L Munirah ◽  
...  

Abstract Grain storage is an important part of the post-harvest quality assurance process. The moisture level of the grains during storage is one of the primary problems. The current method of measuring rice grain moisture content is based on random sampling, which is relatively localised, and there is no real-time moisture content measurement available. The RF signal was used to build a new technique for detecting moisture and its presence in rice in real-time in this paper. The mapping of an RF signal, in particular, can be transformed into volumetric tomographic images that can be used to forecast moisture distribution.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3686
Author(s):  
Nurul Amira Mohd Ramli ◽  
Mohd Hafiz Fazalul Rahiman ◽  
Latifah Munirah Kamarudin ◽  
Latifah Mohamed ◽  
Ammar Zakaria ◽  
...  

This manuscript presents a new method to monitor and localize the moisture distribution in a rice silo based on tomography images. Because the rice grain is naturally hygroscopic, the stored grains’ quality depends on their level of moisture content. Higher moisture content leads to fibre degradation, making the grains too frail and possibly milled. If the moisture is too low, the grains become brittle and are susceptible to higher breakage. At present, the single-point measurement method is unreliable because the moisture build-up inside the silo might be distributed unevenly. In addition, this method mostly applies gravimetric analysis, which is destructive. Thus, we proposed a radio tomographic imaging (RTI) system to address these problems. Four simulated phantom profiles at different percentages of moisture content were reconstructed using Newton’s One-Step Error Reconstruction and Tikhonov Regularization algorithms. This simulation study utilized the relationship between the maximum voxel weighting of the reconstructed RTI image and the percentage of moisture content. The outcomes demonstrated promising results, in which the weighting voxel linearly increased with the percentage of moisture content, with a correlation coefficient higher than 0.95 was obtained. Therefore, the results support the possibility of using the RTI approach for monitoring and localizing the moisture distribution inside the rice silo.


2001 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Aslanidou ◽  
P. Smiris

This  study deals with the soil moisture distribution and its effect on the  potential growth and    adaptation of the over-story species in north-east Chalkidiki. These  species are: Quercus    dalechampii Ten, Quercus  conferta Kit, Quercus  pubescens Willd, Castanea  sativa Mill, Fagus    moesiaca Maly-Domin and also Taxus baccata L. in mixed stands  with Fagus moesiaca.    Samples of soil, 1-2 kg per 20cm depth, were taken and the moisture content  of each sample    was measured in order to determine soil moisture distribution and its  contribution to the growth    of the forest species. The most important results are: i) available water  is influenced by the soil    depth. During the summer, at a soil depth of 10 cm a significant  restriction was observed. ii) the    large duration of the dry period in the deep soil layers has less adverse  effect on stands growth than in the case of the soil surface layers, due to the fact that the root system mainly spreads out    at a soil depth of 40 cm iii) in the beginning of the growing season, the  soil moisture content is    greater than 30 % at a soil depth of 60 cm, in beech and mixed beech-yew  stands, is 10-15 % in    the Q. pubescens  stands and it's more than 30 % at a soil depth of 60 cm in Q. dalechampii    stands.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3950
Author(s):  
Hoora Mazaheri ◽  
Hwai Chyuan Ong ◽  
Zeynab Amini ◽  
Haji Hassan Masjuki ◽  
M. Mofijur ◽  
...  

Biodiesel is a clean, renewable, liquid fuel that can be used in existing diesel engines without modification as pure or blend. Transesterification (the primary process for biodiesel generation) via heterogeneous catalysis using low-cost waste feedstocks for catalyst synthesis improves the economics of biodiesel production. Heterogeneous catalysts are preferred for the industrial generation of biodiesel due to their robustness and low costs due to the easy separation and relatively higher reusability. Calcium oxides found in abundance in nature, e.g., in seashells and eggshells, are promising candidates for the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts. However, process improvements are required to design productive calcium oxide-based catalysts at an industrial scale. The current work presents an overview of the biodiesel production advancements using calcium oxide-based catalysts (e.g., pure, supported, and mixed with metal oxides). The review discusses different factors involved in the synthesis of calcium oxide-based catalysts, and the effect of reaction parameters on the biodiesel yield of calcium oxide-based catalysis are studied. Further, the common reactor designs used for the heterogeneous catalysis using calcium oxide-based catalysts are explained. Moreover, the catalytic activity mechanism, challenges and prospects of the application of calcium oxide-based catalysts in biodiesel generation are discussed. The study of calcium oxide-based catalyst should continue to be evaluated for the potential of their application in the commercial sector as they remain the pivotal goal of these studies.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daning Zhang ◽  
Guanwei Long ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Haibao Mu ◽  
Guanjun Zhang

In order to realize the diagnosis of water distribution, this paper analyzes the interface polarization and macroscopic space charge polarization mechanism when the water distribution is non-uniform. The experimental results of this paper and bushing show that when the moisture distribution is non-uniform, there is a significant loss peak in the tanδ-f curve. The loss peak shifts to higher frequencies as the non-uniformity coefficient increases. There are common intersection points between multiple tanδ-f curves. Further, this paper realizes the diagnosis of the location of moisture distribution through Frequency Domain Spectroscopy (FDS) testing of different voltages and different wiring methods based on the macroscopic space charge polarization. In the single-cycle FDS test, when the positive electrode is first added to the area with higher moisture content, the amplitude of the tanδ-f curve is smaller. The tanδ-f curves under different wiring methods constitute a “ring-shaped” loss peak. As the voltage increases, the peak value of the loss peak shifts to the lower frequency band. As the temperature increases, the peak value of the loss peak shifts to higher frequencies. Based on the above rules and mechanism analysis, this research provides a new solution for the evaluation of moisture content of oil-immersed polymers equipment.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3494
Author(s):  
Jakub Lev ◽  
Václav Křepčík ◽  
Egidijus Šarauskis ◽  
František Kumhála

Moisture content is one of the most important parameters related to the quality of wood chips that affects both the calorific and economic value of fuel chips. For industrial applications, moisture content needs to be detected quickly. For this purpose, various indirect moisture content measurement methods (e.g., capacitance, NIR, microwave, ECT, X-ray CT, and nuclear MR) have been investigated with different results in the past. Nevertheless, determining wood chip moisture content in real time is still a challenge. The main aim of this article was therefore to analyze the dielectric properties of wood chips at low frequencies (10 kHz–5 MHz) and to examine the possibility of using these properties to predict wood chip moisture content and porosity. A container-type probe was developed for this purpose. The electrical capacitance and dissipation factor of wood chips with different moisture content was measured by an LCR meter at 10 kHz, 50 kHz, 100 kHz, 500 kHz, 1 MHz, and 5 MHz frequencies. Wood chip porosity was also measured using a gas displacement method. Linear models for moisture content and porosity prediction were determined by backward stepwise linear regression. Mathematical model was developed to better understand the physical relationships between moisture content, porosity, and electrical capacitance. These models were able to predict the moisture content of observed quantities of wood chips with the required accuracy (R2 = 0.9−0.99). This finding opens another path to measuring the moisture content and porosity of wood chips in a relatively cheap and fast way and with adequate precision. In addition, principal component analysis showed that it is also possible to distinguish between individual wood chip fraction sizes from the information obtained.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Bychkov ◽  
Varvara Simonova ◽  
Vasily Zarubin ◽  
Elena Cherepetskaya ◽  
Alexander Karabutov

The current paper reviews a set of principles and applications of photoacoustic and laser ultrasonic imaging, developed in the Laser Optoacoustic Laboratories of ILIT RAS, NUST MISiS, and ILC MSU. These applications include combined photoacoustic and laser ultrasonic imaging for biological objects, and tomographic laser ultrasonic imaging of solids. Principles, algorithms, resolution of the developed methods, and related problems are discussed. The review is written in context of the current state-of-art of photoacoustic and laser ultrasonic imaging.


HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 1618-1628
Author(s):  
Yanjun Guo ◽  
Terri Starman ◽  
Charles Hall

The objective was to determine the effect of substrate moisture content (SMC) during poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) greenhouse production on plant quality, postproduction longevity, and economic value. Two experiments were conducted, one in 2016 with ‘Freedom Red’ and the other in 2017 with ‘Christmas Eve Red’. Treatments included two SMC levels (20% or 40%) applied in four timing of application combinations. Total production (TP) time was 14 (2016) or 12 (2017) weeks in which vegetative production (VP) occurred from week 33 (2016) or 35 (2017) to week 39 and reproductive production (RP) continued from week 40 to 47. The four timing of application treatments were 40/40 = TP at 40% SMC; 20/40 = VP at 20% + RP at 40%; 40/20 = VP at 40% + RP at 20%; 20/20 = TP at 20% SMC. After simulated shipping in the dark, plants were evaluated in a simulated retail environment with two packaging treatments: no sleeve covering or plastic perforated plant sleeves covering container and plant. At the end of greenhouse production, plants grown in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 and 40/20) had shorter bract internode length, stem length, and smaller growth index (GI), decreased shoot and root dry weight (DW), and bract and leaf surface area compared with those in 40% SMC during RP (40/40 and 20/40). Photosynthetic rate was higher when plants were watered at 40% SMC regardless of production stage compared with those in 20% SMC. Leaf thickness, petiole thickness, total bract and leaf number were unaffected by SMC treatments. Plants in 20% SMC during RP (20/20 or 40/20) had earlier bract coloring despite days to anthesis being the same for all SMC treatments. Compared with 40/40, 40/20, and 20/20 could save 44.2% or 43.6%, respectively, irrigation and fertilizer usage, and 39.1% and 47.8%, respectively, labor time. During postharvest, ethylene concentration was unaffected by packaging method. Sleeved plants, regardless of SMC treatment, received lower light intensity in the middle of the plant canopy, causing plants to have lower total leaf number due to abscission and SPAD reading at the end of postproduction. The 40/40 treatment abscised more bracts during five weeks (in 2016) of postproduction and with no sleeve had higher number of bracts with bract edge burn (BEB). In summary, reducing SMC to 20% during TP or RP reduced water usage during production and produced more compact plants with increased postproduction quality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgi Dobrev ◽  
Hristina Strinska ◽  
Anelia Hambarliiska ◽  
Boriana Zhekova ◽  
Valentina Dobreva

Background: Rhizopus arrhizus is a potential microorganism for lipase production. Solid-state fermentation is used for microbial biosynthesis of enzymes, due to advantages, such as high productivity, utilization of abundant and low-cost raw materials, and production of enzymes with different catalytic properties. Objective: The objective of the research is optimization of the conditions for lipase production in solid-state fermentation by Rhizopus arrhizus in a nutrient medium, containing agroindustrial wastes. Method: Biosynthesis of lipase in solid-state fermentation by Rhizopus arrhizus was investigated. The effect of different solid substrates, additional carbon and nitrogen source, particles size and moisture content of the medium on enzyme production was studied. Response surface methodology was applied for determination of the optimal values of moisture content and tryptone concentration. A procedure for efficient lipase extraction from the fermented solids was developed. Results: Highest lipase activity was achieved when wheat bran was used as a solid substrate. The addition of 1% (w/w) glucose and 5% (w/w) tryptone to the solid medium significantly increased lipase activity. The structure of the solid medium including particles size and moisture content significantly influenced lipase production. A mathematical model for the effect of moisture content and tryptone concentration on lipase activity was developed. Highest enzyme activity was achieved at 66% moisture and 5% (w/w) tryptone. The addition of the non-ionic surfactant Disponyl NP 3070 in the eluent for enzyme extraction from the fermented solids increased lipase activity about three folds. Conclusion: After optimization of the solid-state fermentation the achieved 1021.80 U/g lipase activity from Rhizopus arrhizus was higher and comparable with the activity of lipases, produced by other fungal strains. The optimization of the conditions and the use of low cost components in solid-state fermentation makes the process economicaly effective for production of lipase from the investigated strain Rhizopus arrhizus.


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